DESCRIPTION
Published in 1852 | 273 pages | PDF reader required
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1.
Conversation with his physician, and the indifference about death—The minister sent for—Prayer—Meditation on life—Age of Reason—A swoon—Sees a spirit—The effort of the spirit to identify herself—His death—Funeral services—Doubting minister—Conversation with his spirit companion—Benediction, and opinions of the people—The end of wonders—Joy in his new sphere—The greeting—The woman and the doctor—His mother—Her welcome—His grave—The thoughts of the grave digger—Anxiety to reveal the truth—Promise to him of a coming time when it could be done with safety to mediums—Origin of sight—Thoughts of minds at his grave—Disclaims intentional wrong—Objections to religion—Visit to the minister—Conversation between the minister and servant Prayer—Servant complains—Cheering conversation of Paine and his companion—Proposes to relate his experience, and signs his name.—[From page 13 to page 27.]
CHAPTER 2.
Pleased with his new life—Recognition of rudimental associates—Reason why Paine's writings were unpopular—His opposition to revelation considered—Penn makes an effort to show Paine his error, but was defeated—Error acknowledged—Strife about opinions condemned—Nature is never contradictory, but just—All wrong induced by ignorance—Remedy for wrongs—Wisdom peaceful—The will of resistance—The principles of nature enforced—Education in wrong the cause of wrong—Non-resistance advocated—Penn takes him to a temple—Enters an arch-door—Initiation into wisdom—Assumes an obligation—A new song is sung—Receives a lesson—Description of the temple—Name recorded—A book opened—Banner unfurled—Words on the banner—Explanation of justice, wisdom, progression, order and harmony—Duties enjoined—Charge of the master—Emblems explained—Master and servant—Freedom of servants—Obedience to nature demanded—Implements of masonry—Proof of masonry—The High Priest instructs—The book opened and read—Interpretations forbidden—Repentant mind—Conducted to the inner court—The white stone—Name changed—Receives a new baptism—An anthem and ode were sung—The temple by whom made, and its pillars—Hears a wail of sorrow, and prepares for a mission.—[From page 27 to page 52]
CHAPTER 3.
The Cottage—Landlord impressed—Efforts of spirits—Maniac threatens his family—Landlord advises to send for the minister—Wife wants a doctor—Iron moved by a spirit—Nobleman and Mary confounded by the sounds—Attributes the sounds to satan and witches—Becomes agitated—Boasts of English courage—Gives Mary a half crown—Sends for a physician—Maniac grows more ill—Tea and sugar bought—The doctor comes and prescribes—Aid promised—Curate required to pray at his home—The maniac dies—Grief of Mary—Parental counsel at the time of her marriage repeated—Her husband buried—The family taken to the
Alms-house—Affecting conversation between the mother and her son—The overseer questions Mary—Oppression of the poor—Voluntary and involuntary servitude explained.—[From page 52 to page 64.]
CHAPTER 4,
The Castle described—The centurion alarmed—Faith proved by works—Interpretations of the Bible disallowed—Penn called an infidel—Dialogue between the centurion and Penn—Teacher called—Dialogue continued—Theological opinions the cause of strife and wrong—Paine and Penn retire—Conversation between them—Witnesses beheaded—Dialogue between the Teacher and his Master—A wheel within a wheel—Gold and silver the motive power—Attraction of affinities—Fear and hope make slaves—The king's palace—Conversation between Thomas and William—Grand Master instructs Thomas—A new song—Consistency wrong when minds are wrong—Experience the proper test of principles—Some
minds serve two masters—Works justify—Repentance is salvation—Departure for the Temple.—[From page 64 to page 102.]
CHAPTER 5.
Unity of work—Each receives a penny—Visits another temple—The Master's charge to Thomas—Advice of the chief—Counsel of the commander—Explanation of the helmet, spear, sword with two edges, arrows and bow, sling and pebbles—Trumpet—Directions to revisit the castle.—From page 102 to page 110.]
CHAPTER 6.
The deacon's prayer—Thomas and Mary converse—Dialogue between the deacon and Thomas on rewards, a day of judgment, and the atonement—The deacon converted—Sung the new song—Departure for the temple—The deacon initiated into the mysteries of wisdom, and the secret explained—Thomas and the deacon revisit the castle.—[From page 110 to page 126.]
CHAPTER 7.
The wonder in the castle—Dialogue between the chief, the deacon, and Thomas—The senior consulted—The circle of the temple summoned by the trumpet—Conversation between the Commander of the temple and the senior of the castle on war—On rights—The conversion of 24 elders, and 144,000—The Commander conducts them to the temple, where they were initiated into that degree of wisdom.—[From page 126 to page 144.]
CHAPTER 8.
Mission of Thomas and the elders—The king and guard—The elder ad dresses the king—Conversation with him—He refuses wisdom—A dialogue with a mind on fear—Calls a great multitude to hear the elder—Address of the elder—Conversation with the circle—Imputed righteousness—A thousand times ten thousand converted, and received into the temple.—[From page 144 to page 165.]
CHAPTER 9.
Thomas finds two minds wrangling—Enters into conversation with them—Refuses to give his name—Opposes teaching what the teacher does not know—Opposes controversy—Rejects innate depravity—Discards wrong views—Recommends facts for opinions—Explanation of sun and moon, which stood still by the command of Joshua—Nature instructs mind—Wrangling unwise—Wisdom will overcome wrong—Freedom induces righteousness—Masters responsible for the doings of servants—Another mind is converted—The work of the temple harmonious—Duty to avoid discord—The assent is gained—The convert sees a light
—William gives him advice, and conducts him to the temple, when he receives a new name, and a white stone.—[From page 165 to page 186]
CHAPTER 10.
Receives a visit from a superior mind—Proposition to advance accepted—The seraphim sings—A pearl given—Enters a world of light and song—Description of the works which he saw—The instruction of the Worthy—The song of the free—Address of another mind on the key of wisdom—The seven seals—Address of a third mind—Conducts to the sixth circle—A lecture on social progress—Hope a reality—A lecture on prophecy—Rules of prophecy the same as mathematical—Prediction of communicating with the inhabitants of earth—Predictions, opinions only of those below the sixth circle—A lecture on purity and prophecy—Nature the standard by which to determine right and wrong—Advancement to the seventh circle, or court of Beauty—Sees a white throne and inscriptions—A little child leading a lion—A serpent fastened to a rock—Twenty four pillars of wisdom—Minstrels chant a welcome—Emblems explained Prediction of events now taking place—Contemplated mission to the rudimental sphere, and how it would be received—The serpent to be destroyed—Evils to be overcome by wisdom.—From page 186 to page 235,]
CHAPTER 11.
Franklin, Swedenborg. Paine, and his companions visit a place near the castle—Old things become new—Process of change—Identity preserved—Self is a part of the body—All sympathize together in good and ill—Governments defective—Opposition to capital punishment—Origin of evil—Now overcome—Success of the mission—Means must be adapted to conditions—Contradictory communications develop the condition of minds in the second sphere—Conflicting revealments harmonious with different degrees of wisdom—Writing mediums—Societies and forms of worship—Adaptation is harmony—Harmony should not be disturbed—The mission of spirits will be to regulate minds—Minds will change forms—Retire to a mansion—Onward is a passport—Dullness reproved—Dedication of the Pilgrimage.—[From p. 235 to p. 259.]